AI-edited composition based on a profile photograph of Ryo Karakawa during surgery

Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery

Precision,for what comes next.

My work spans reconstructive, lymphatic, and aesthetic surgery, as well as research and education.

The aim remains constant:
to restore function, preserve identity, and expand what surgery can make possible.

These fields may appear different, but the essentials of surgery remain the same: diagnose accurately, understand the anatomy deeply, minimize tissue trauma, and attend carefully to every detail.

With reconstructive surgery and microsurgery developed at a dedicated cancer hospital as my foundation, I have continued clinical practice, research, and surgical education. I have been invited to operate and teach in India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and the Czech Republic. Languages and healthcare systems differ, but the expression patients show after surgery is the same everywhere.

Whether restoring what has been lost or addressing changes that come with age, the goal is to help each person move forward as themselves.

01 / INTEGRATION

Reconstruction Meets Aesthetics

Considering function and beauty with the same precision.

02 / DESIGN

Change Without Excess

Reading the anatomy and creating only the change that is needed.

03 / LONGEVITY

A Long-Term View

Choosing treatment with the condition of tissues years later in mind.

Ryo Karakawa during surgery, profile view

During live surgery for immediate lymphatic reconstruction in Bengaluru, India.

Philosophy

The same surgical craft,
used for different purposes.

Reconstruction after cancer resection and surgery to restore age-related facial descent share the same craft: dissect with minimal tissue trauma, reposition in the correct plane, and close precisely. What differs is the purpose. One restores what was lost; the other returns what remains to where it belongs.

I have practiced reconstructive surgery and microsurgery at a dedicated cancer hospital, suturing vessels and lymphatics measuring 0.3–2 mm under the microscope. I bring that same insistence on detail to aesthetic surgery.

God is in the details.
— I believe that a single scar and a single stitch can change how a result looks years later.

Profile

Profile & Credentials

Current Appointments
Chief Surgeon, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital
Director, Medical Device Planning and Development Office / Adjunct Lecturer, Head and Neck Oncology Center, Showa University Hospital / Visiting Professor, Center for Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications
Degrees
MD, The University of Tokyo (2014) / PhD, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (2024)
Board Certification & Credentials
  • Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Japan Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
  • JSPRS Certified Instructor in Reconstructive and Microsurgery
  • Board Certified Specialist and Councilor, Japanese Society of Anti-Aging Medicine
  • Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (F.A.C.S.)
Selected Awards
JSPRS Academic Encouragement Award, Award of Excellence (2024, 2026) / JSPRS Best Presentation Award (2023) / Japanese Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery International Traveling Fellow (2022) / Second Place, WSRM Best Case Competition (2022, Cancun)

View full profile and achievements

Clinics

Clinical Locations

The appropriate facility depends on the nature of your consultation. Please make appointments through each facility’s official contact channel.

Cancer Institute Hospital

Reconstruction after cancer resection, including breast, sarcoma, and head and neck cases.
Care is generally provided under Japan’s public health insurance system, primarily through internal referral from the treating oncologist.

Kai Clinic Tokyo

Aesthetic consultations and surgery focused on facial rejuvenation.

Kai Clinic Tokyo Official Website →

Lymphedema Surgery

LVA and related care. The appropriate facility is selected according to disease stage and patient needs.

Kawabata Clinic Lymphedema Service →